The making of ‘extraordinary whiteness
Race, class and masculinity in German-Chilean fraternities, 1896–1940
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7515098 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ricardo Amigo Dürre (0000-0002-5729-8309, University of Chile, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 21 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 41-59 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-02 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Latin American and Caribbean Ethnic Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1744-2222 • E-ISSN: 1744-2230 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/17442222.2026.2622274 |
| OpenAlex | W7127502025 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 16 |
This article explores the articulation of a specific construction of whiteness in Chile by members of German-Chilean student fraternities or Burschenschaften, at the time of their creation and consolidation, from 1896 to 1940. Following the model of German Burschenschaften, these fraternities brought together male university students of German descent in Chilean cities – descendants of German immigrants who were welcomed through the state-led whitening initiatives of the mid-19th century onward. First, the article situates its approach within scholarship of whiteness and white masculinity in Latin America. Second, it examines the racial, class, and national discourses articulated by a founder and distinguished member of the first Chilean Burschenschaft. Third, it analyzes how these discourses relate to practices such as fencing, beer consumption, and the delivery of speeches – activities aimed at educating fraternity members and fostering conviviality. The article argues that such practices contributed to the construction, embodiment and sustaining of a specific form of white masculinity in Chile. The conclusion hints at the possible significance of this work for developing a more comprehensive analysis of whiteness – and particularly of ‘extraordinary whiteness’ – in Chile.
Class (philosophy · Making-of · Masculinity · Social class · Working class · Colonial History and Postcolonial Studies · European history and politics · German Colonialism and Identity Studies
The Image of Man
Entre hombres
White Women, Race Matters
A conceptual roadmap for the study of whiteness in Latin America
‘We’re a bit browner but we still belong to the white race’
Competing Masculinities
Distributed intensities
White but Not Quite
Blanquidad y privilegios raciales
Cómo hablar de blancura, blanquitud y blanqueamiento en el contexto latinoamericano
Blanquidades chilenas
Colonização, Imigração E a Questão Racial No Brasil
From whiteness to diversity
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |